Here’s a thought for your Friday: do you reckon you’d be able to get by on your smartphone if you didn’t have the ability to make calls on it?
The reason I ask is that I got my hands on the Samsung Galaxy Camera last Wednesday at the local media launch. A really interesting little device; it’s a full-fledged compact camera with a 16-megapixel sensor and 21x optical zoom, and it’s almost a full-fledged smartphone, sharing the same guts and display of a Galaxy S3, complete with the micro-SIM card slot for 3G connectivity and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. You just can’t make phone calls on it.
This got me thinking - do I even need the call capability on my smartphone? Could I just take my SIM card out of my current phone, stick in the Galaxy Camera, and use that as my ‘everyday’ handset?
I receive up to a dozen phone calls a day, but they’re usually work-related, and I prefer doing all that via email so I have a searchable record. Come to think of it, I prefer texting to phone calls when it comes to communicating with friends and family, too, and the Galaxy Camera supports this.
It’s come to the point that I actually get irritated when my phone rings.
The Samsung Galaxy Camera gives me an easy out. I could just tell people that I can’t receive calls any more. I’d put it on my voicemail and instruct people to email me or text me. Perhaps I could "train" people to stop calling me and use alternative modes of communication. Perhaps I could start a new anti-calling revolution!
Sadly, there are a few instances where I need to be able to make and receive phone calls. Emergencies are a big one, as I have an 18-month-old that’s overly fond of climbing onto high surfaces. Work is another - I have a few editors that still insist on talking me through new story ideas over the phone, and I occasionally get couriers calling me demanding to know where I am so they can drop reviews units off (never a bad thing!) or pick them up (sad face). Finally, there’s the all-important home delivery for food; all of the main pizza places now have dedicated apps for ordering (god bless them), but most other cuisine types require that you actually pick up the phone to order.
I think I’m going to try it anyway, and keep a second phone on-hand for emergencies. I could always use Skype if need be, as well. The Samsung Galaxy Camera will be available next week. Outright purchase price is $599, and Optus will be offering it for free on a range of plans.
